Series 4

Class for 2013-10-28: Backbone.js

We learned about the basics of Backbone.js, one of the simplest Model-Collection-View libraries available for the front-end. Libraries such as these make it easier to manage data-rich views by keeping everything in sync with each other, and with data in the back-end.

Class for 2013-10-21: Preprocessors

Frontend code can often get very repetitive and hard to maintain. We expanded upon last week's talk about the "view" layer by introducing preprocessors - languages which compile into HTML, CSS, or JS. We've taken a look at PHP and ERB, but we also walked through languages that look nothing like HTML (HAML), and languages that compile into CSS (Less, Sass + Compass) and JS (CoffeeScript). These languages can make your life much easier as they help keep you from repeating yourself (DRY!). We also introduced Middleman, one of many workflow systems that makes using these languages easy.

To prepare for this class, consider installing RVM with the --ruby=2.0 flag if you're using OS X or Linux, or Ruby via RubyInstaller for Windows. If you really want a head start, you can then install Middleman.

Class for 2013-10-14: Backend web development

This class was all about the seedy underbelly of web development: the backend!

I know we already have a backend class here at Noisebridge, but this one was tailored toward frontend developers wanting to get a taste of how things come together. We spent the first half talking about PHP, then moved onto a Rails, a more complex example.

Here are the steps used for class preparation:

THE EASY WAY:

If you would like to follow along, the easiest option is to run a virtual machine:

THE HARDEST WAY:

Install Apache, PHP, RVM, Ruby, and Rails individually. Good luck!

No video for this class. :(

Class for 2013-10-07: Version control (Git) and the command line

This class was a general overview on version control and the command line. I've taught how to use an FTP client to upload files to the web, but the truth is that most developers don't do that anymore - rather, they collaborate with their peers by using version control systems, which allows them to keep track of their work in a reliable fashion and push it to the web.

Again, this class wasn't about web development per se - it was just an important introduction to using the command line to work with Git, one of the most popular version control systems. Everyone created their own fork of a repository and checked in their work.

We signed up for a free account at GitHub and installed Git. Those on Windows installed Git for Windows (all default options are fine).

We talked about progressive enhancement - a practice where websites are created in a layered way that makes them accessible and cross-browser friendly. We looked at two versions of an example site and demonstrated how one is outdated, and the other adheres to progressive enhancement principles. We've touched on these concepts throughout the whole class, but in this class we focused on why they're important, and what could happen if you DON'T adhere to them.

This segued into a talk about browser testing - how to do it and what to look out for. We suggested using modern.IE for virtualization tools.

Class for 2013-09-23: The mobile web

We took this blog and turned it into a mobile-accessible website via the use of media queries. We also talked about the rest of the world of the mobile web: user agent strings, frameworks like jQuery Mobile and Sencha Touch, and the future of HTML5/CSS3 in mobile website and app development.

Class for 2013-09-16: CSS3

We'd covered CSS3 before, but in the context of a mockup. We looked further into CSS3 with a demonstration of what the new technologies are, how to make the most of them, and how to make sites using them look good in less capable browsers.

CSS Selector specificity is determined four numbers, a-b-c-d, in a number system with a large base.

count 1 if the declaration is from is a 'style' attribute rather than a rule with a selector, 0 otherwise (= a) (In HTML, values of an element's "style" attribute are style sheet rules. These rules have no selectors, so a=1, b=0, c=0, and d=0.)
count the number of ID attributes in the selector (= b)
count the number of other attributes and pseudo-classes in the selector (= c)
count the number of element names and pseudo-elements in the selector (= d)

RTFM

Understanding defines the difference between the followers, who resort to mystical incantations or convoluted DOM libraries to do the work for them, and those who can implement project requirements, as specified, with clean code (Vimeo). And not downloading free scripts off dynamic drive or [ jQuery], copying, or programming by observation.

When misunderstandings or debates arise, and that happens fairly often, it is important how to find the answer using STFW and RTFM,
and when that fails, how (and where (CIWAS, JSMentors, c.l.js, ciwah) to ask a smart question.

Specifications

FAQ

Class for 2013-08-12: More useful jQuery plugins

Our final jQuery-focused class touched on a number of other common plugins that are found in the wild. We took a closer look at Bootstrap and jQuery UI, and looked at plugins that make your page look super snazzy:

Class for 2013-08-05: Sign-up forms

We continued working on our site and added a sign-up form, with validation, inside the modal. We used the jQuery Validation plugin. Validation is a very common request from clients and it comes in handy to know all the tips and tricks of forms and validation, and what new HTML5 elements can provide.

Class for 2013-07-29: Modals and menus

We went back to the "professional" site we'd put together a number of weeks ago and added more functionality to it with some jQuery plugins. We first made a dialog box - or a "modal" - pop up when you click the sign up buttons. We did this by introducing jQuery UI to make common user controls easier to create. We also added some dropdown functionality to our menus using pure CSS, but explained that jQuery UI can help out with the subtle nuances of menus.

Class for 2013-07-22: AJAX

We talked about Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, a technology that allows us to talk to a server without leaving the page. jQuery makes this extremely easy. We added AJAX functionality to our app we've been building on. We used this PHP file to test it out.

Class for 2013-07-15: jQuery, cont'd

Class for 2013-07-08: jQuery

We introduced jQuery, a JavaScript library that makes web programming a whole lot easier. jQuery is the most popular of many libraries that allow us to interact with the document easily, while also providing us with a few tools that are missing from the base language.

Class for 2013-07-01: JavaScript, cont'd

Class for 2013-06-24: JavaScript

We talked about JavaScript: making web pages interactive through client-side code. We used the console, which is part of the browser's developer tools, to demonstrate the basics of the language. This and next week's class can be treated as a general introduction to programming.

Class for 2013-05-13: CSS positioning

In the last few classes, we focused on element measurements and floats. This time, we focused on positioning of elements: spacing them out from other elements using margins, and using absolute, relative, or fixed positioning to put the elements anywhere we want on the whole page.

Class for 2013-05-06: CSS floats

Floating is the secret sauce behind creating websites with multiple columns, navigation menus, and basically any block element that's aligned to the left or right. We learned about floats by taking a look at some examples, then took a mockup and created a site from it.

Class for 2013-04-22: CSS selectors and the box model

CSS selectors are probably the most complex part of the CSS language, so we looked at them further in-depth. We also talked about the box model, the display concept that makes words and containers on the web look like they do.

Series 3

Class for 2013-04-01: Preprocessors

This class expanded upon the topic of backend web apps by talking about preprocessor languages - languages which compile into HTML, CSS, or JS. We'd taken a look at PHP and ERB, but we also walked through languages that look nothing like HTML (HAML), and languages that compile into CSS (Less, Sass + Compass) and JS (CoffeeScript). These languages can make your life much easier as they help keep you from repeating yourself (DRY!).

Class for 2013-03-25: Backend web development

This class was all about the seedy underbelly of web development: the backend!

I know we already have a backend class here at Noisebridge, but this one was tailored toward frontend developers wanting to get a taste of how things come together. We spent the first half talking about PHP, then moved onto a Rails, a more complex example.

Here are the steps used for class preparation:

THE EASY WAY:

If you would like to follow along and are on Windows or OS X, the easiest option is to run a virtual machine:

THE HARDEST WAY:

Class for 2013-03-18: Version control (Git) and the command line

This class was a general overview on version control and the command line. I'd taught how to use an FTP client to upload files to the web, but the truth is that most developers don't do that anymore - rather, they collaborate with their peers by using version control systems, which allows them to keep track of their work in a reliable fashion and push it to the web.

Again, this class wasn't about web development per se - it was just an important introduction to using the command line to work with Git, one of the most popular version control systems. Everyone created their own repository and checked in their work.

We signed up for a free account at GitHub and installed Git. Those on Windows installed Git for Windows (all default options are fine).

We talked about progressive enhancement - a practice where websites are created in a layered way that makes them accessible and cross-browser friendly. We looked at two versions of an example site and demonstrated how one is outdated, and the other adheres to progressive enhancement principles. We've touched on these concepts throughout the whole class, but in this class we focused on why they're important, and what could happen if you DON'T adhere to them.

This segued nicely into a talk about browser testing - how to do it and what to look out for.

Class for 2013-03-04: CSS3

We've covered CSS3 before, but in the context of a mockup. We went further into CSS3 with a demonstration of what the new technologies are, how to make the most of them, and how to make sites using them look good in less capable browsers.

Class for 2013-02-25: Mobile websites

We took this blog and turned it into a mobile-accessible website via the use of media queries. We also talked about the rest of the world of the mobile web: user agent strings, frameworks like jQuery Mobile and Sencha Touch, and the future of HTML5/CSS3 in mobile website and app development.

Class for 2013-02-04: More useful jQuery plugins

Our final jQuery-focused class touched on a number of other common plugins that are found in the wild. We took a closer look at Bootstrap and jQuery UI, and looked at plugins that make your page look super snazzy:

Class for 2013-01-28: Sign-up forms

We continued working on our site and added a sign-up form, with validation, inside the modal. We used the jQuery Validation plugin. This is a very common request from clients and it comes in handy to know all the tips and tricks of forms and validation, and what new HTML5 elements can provide.

Class for 2013-01-14: Menus and modals

We went back to the "professional" site we'd put together a number of weeks ago and added more functionality to it with some jQuery plugins. We first made a dialog box - or a "modal" - pop up when you click the sign up buttons. We did this by introducing jQuery UI to make common web development tasks easier. We also add some dropdown functionality to our menus using pure CSS, but this can be done using jQuery UI or Bootstrap as well.

Class for 2013-01-07: AJAX

We talked about Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, a technology that allows us to talk to a server without leaving the page. jQuery makes this extremely easy. We added AJAX functionality to our app we've been building on. We used this PHP file to test it out.

Class for 2012-10-15: CSS floats

Floating is the secret sauce behind creating websites with multiple columns, navigation menus, and basically any block element that's aligned to the left or right. We learned about floats by taking a look at some examples, then took a mockup and created a site from it.

Class for 2012-10-01: CSS selectors and the box model

CSS selectors are probably the most complex part of the CSS language, so we looked at them further in-depth. We also talked about the box model, the display concept that makes words and containers on the web look like they do.

Series 2

Class for 2012-09-10: Preprocessors

This class expanded upon the topic of web frameworks by talking about preprocessor languages - languages which compile into HTML, CSS, or JS. We'd taken a look at PHP and ERB, but we also walked through languages that look nothing like HTML (HAML), and languages that compile into CSS (Less, Sass + Compass) and JS (CoffeeScript). These languages can make your life much easier as they help keep you from repeating yourself (DRY!).

Class for 2012-08-27: Backend web development

This class was all about the seedy underbelly of web development: the backend! We talked about HTTP, web servers (like Apache), preprocessor languages (like PHP and ERB), web frameworks (like Rails), and databases (like SQLite). Sound daunting? Well, it kind of is, but this 2-hour session might have alleviated a small portion of your fears!

Class for 2012-08-20: Progressive enhancement

We talked about progressive enhancement - a practice where websites are created in a layered way that makes them accessible and cross-browser friendly. We looked at an example site and demonstrated how it adheres to these principles. We've touched on these concepts throughout the whole class, but in this class we focused on why they're important, and what could happen if you DON'T adhere to them.

As part of the class, we used a Chrome extension called ChromeVox, which is a free screen reader for the web. We also used virtual machines to run older versions of Internet Explorer on my Mac.

Class for 2012-08-13: CSS3 and CSS4

We've covered CSS3 before, but in the context of a mockup. We went further into CSS3 and CSS4 with a demonstration of what the new technologies are, how to make the most of them, and how to make sites using them look good in less capable browsers.

Class for 2012-08-06: Mobile websites

We worked on this blog and turn it into a mobile-accessible website. We also talked about user agent strings, frameworks like jQuery Mobile and Sencha Touch, and the future of HTML5/CSS3 in mobile website development.

Class for 2012-07-16: Sign-up forms

We continued working on our site, and added a sign-up form, with validation, inside the modal. We used the jQuery Validation plugin. This is a very common request from clients and it comes in handy to know all the tips and tricks of forms and validation, and what new HTML5 elements can provide.

This class was not an exhaustive look at Bootstrap - there is a lot to cover. Look for a more comprehensive talk on Bootstrap later down the line.

Class for 2012-07-02: Guest speaker - HTML5

John Freddy Vega of Cristalab and Mejorando.la delivered a presentation on the basics of HTML5, CSS3, and new JavaScript developments. It's a great talk for those starting out on new web technologies, or just wondering what the big difference is from HTML 4.01 and below.

Class for 2012-06-25: AJAX

We talked about Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, a technology that allows us to talk to a server without leaving the page. jQuery makes this extremely easy. We added AJAX functionality to our app we've been building on and uploaded a PHP file to a web host to test it out.

Class for 2012-06-18: jQuery, cont'd

Class for 2012-06-11: jQuery

We included jQuery into a file and took a look at some of the functions that are available to us, as well as attempting to explain how an object can call a function with itself as the scope (this). We used the Noisetwitter client as an example of simple but powerful things you can do with jQuery.

Class for 2012-05-21: File transfer

We talked about file transfer - not only uploading files using FTP, but using the web browser to get and send information via forms and other methods (an overall talk about HTTP GET/POST).

We downloaded and installed FileZilla and signed up for a NearlyFreeSpeech.NET hosting account - some had to use my personal hosting due to timing reasons.

Class for 2012-05-14: Working from mockups (CSS3 edition)

We worked on last week's site, talking about inline versus block, and applied CSS3 features such as shadows, rounded corners, gradients, and semi-transparency. We didn't have time to talk about CSS3 more in-depth, so we'll have another class on it in the future.

Class for 2012-05-07: Working from mockups

Class for 2012-04-30: CSS floats

Floating is the secret sauce behind creating websites with multiple columns, navigation menus, and basically any block element that's aligned to the left or right. We learned about floats by taking a look at some examples (inspect the page). We then took a mockup and created a site from it.

Class for 2012-04-23: CSS positioning

We focused on positioning of elements: spacing them out from other elements using margins, positioning them absolutely on the page, positioning them relatively, fixed and more. Lecture materials can be downloaded here.

Class for 2012-04-16: CSS selectors and the box model

We expanded on last week's site to make this site, which added complex selectors and margin rules.

Class for 2012-03-05

Class for 2012-02-27

We worked on this blog and turned it into a mobile-accessible website. We also talked about user agent strings, frameworks like jQuery Mobile and Sencha Touch, and talked about the future of HTML5/CSS3 in mobile website development.

Class for 2012-01-30

Class for 2012-01-23

I made accounts on my web hosting, but I suggested students get web hosting space at NearlyFreeSpeech.Net, which will set you up with a pay-as-you-go site. It's free until you start getting a significant amount of traffic.